Extraordinarily productive in 2012, Carey piled up a whopping 1,929 yards rushing. He does it by exploding upfield when he gets a seam, and running through arm tackles with good pad level and strong leg drive and determination. Carey looks like an early-impact NFL running back because of the way he reads plays, and puts his foot in the ground to get vertical and maximize yards when they’re available. His 6.4 yards per carry last season is impressive given he does a good job of taking what the blocking offers, but he also has an extra gear in the open field and can run away from defenders.

The thought that Carey may not be long for the college game is not a novel one, as anyone with the kind of success he’s had would surely consider going to the next level.

And if the Tucson product replicates his 2012 season in 2013, odds are he’ll be among the first players to have their name called by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on draft night.